The invention relates to a mowing machine comprising a cutter bar which extends substantially transversely to the direction of operative travel over the field and having rotary mowing members arranged thereabove. The cutter bar is connected in at least two places to a carrier frame, at least one of the connections includes a flexible member which permits a relatively limited movement between the carrier frame and the portion of the outer bar that is continuous to the connection.
By connecting the cutter bar to the carrier frame in at least two places, a framework is obtained which, to a high extent, absorbs the forces acting on the cutter bar in a direction opposite to the direction of operative travel of the mowing machine. The cutter bar, in particular when it is relatively long, is also subjected to forces which are directed upwardly in a vertical plane and may cause deformation thereof. This deformation results in an increased tension in the positions where the connections to the cutter bar and the carrier frame are provided, i.e. by the occurrence there of bending moments and forces acting in the longitudinal direction of the cutter bar. The results may manifest themselves in an unwanted wear of the transmission system which passes through the cutter bar and is required for driving the mowing members. So to obviate, at least partly, these unwanted phenomena, it is known to provide one of the connections with a pivotable element having a pivot shaft extending in the direction of operative travel of the mowing machine. This measure, however, does not provide the desired tension relief for the connections.